To Work With LiDAR Data

After you have brought files into the Point Cloud Manager, you can gather them into merge groups, specify coordinate systems for your point cloud data store files, and apply filters to control what data will be included in their associated point cloud data store.

To specify a coordinate system for your point cloud data store

  1. In the Point Cloud Manager, click the Coordinate System field.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If you know the coordinate system code, enter it into the Coordinate System field.
    • To choose the coordinate code from a list, click . Select the appropriate coordinate system from the list, then click OK.

To specify an output file name and save location

  1. Click the Output field in the Point Cloud Manager, then click . The Save As dialog box appears.
  2. Enter a new file name and save location, then click Save.

To create a merge group

  1. In the Point Cloud Manager, click Create Group.

    A new merge group appears in the Point Cloud Manager.

  2. To rename the merge group, click in the Source field and enter a new name.
  3. Shift-click or control-click to select the source files in the Point Cloud Manager, then drag them into the merge group.
  4. To specify an output file name and save location other than the one assigned by default, click the Output field, then click .
  5. In the Save As dialog box, enter the file name and save location, then click Save.
  6. To add another file to a merge group, click the file in the Point Cloud Manager and drag it into the merge group.

    You can also right click the merge group and select Add Files to bring in additional files from your LiDAR data repository.

  7. To remove files from a merge group, select the file or files, then click Remove From Group in the Point Cloud Manager.

    When you remove files from a merge group, they remain in the Point Cloud Manager. To remove files from the Point Cloud Manager, select the file or files and click Remove File.

To remove a merge group from the Point Cloud Manager

  1. Select the merge group in the Point Cloud Manager.
  2. Click Remove Group.

To filter LiDAR data

  1. In the Point Cloud Manager, click the Filter field. appears.
  2. In the Filter Point Cloud Dialog Box in the Filter By drop-down box, select one of the following filters:
    • Classification: if your LiDAR data has been classified, you can select which point classes to include in your point cloud data store. Shift-click or control-click to select multiple classes.
    • Elevation: type the elevation ranges you want to include in your point cloud data store. Use hyphens to define ranges and commas to separate them; for example, 150-200, 350-400, 1200-2000.
    • Intensity: you can use LiDAR intensity values to filter data. Use hyphens to define ranges and commas to separate them; for example, 0.25-2.00, 3.50-4.00, 120.00-200.00.
    • Spatial: click the Locate on Map button to apply a spatial filter for your point cloud data store. You can make a spatial selection using a circle, rectangle, polygon, or proximity to an object on your map.
    Click Apply Filter.

    AutoCAD Map 3D displays the filter type in the Filter field.

To remove a filter from your LiDAR data

  1. In the Point Cloud Manager, click the Filter field. The Filter Point Cloud Dialog Box appears.
  2. In the Filter By drop-down box, select the filter type you want to remove.
  3. Click Clear Filter.

To remove a file from the Point Cloud Manager

  1. Select the file in the Point Cloud Manager.
  2. Click Remove File.